>> welcome to the "journal" on dw. >> here's what's coming up in the show -- the 21st century heists. >> the german chancellor makes a surprise visit to troops and distribute to fallen german soldiers. >> and bracing for saturday's election, pakistan tightened security after recent months.

>> thanks for joining us. it is being called the biggest cyber crime of its kind. more than $40 million stolen in a matter of hours by a network of operatives in 27 countries. the targets were two middle eastern banks with outdated card security. fake cards were created and cash machines were plundered. >> it was a global crime, and it has forced a global investigation. a dozen countries are working with the u.s. authority. of us have been made in the united states as well as train germany. first, this report on the investigation so far. >> one of the banks hit by the scam in the united arab emirates. the other based in beaumont. prosecutors say suspects hacked into the bank's systems and stole data for prepaid debit cards. they raised the limits on cash withdrawals and loaded the data onto counterfeit cards. in a few hours, they had

withdrawn the equivalent of 2 million euros from hundreds of cash machines in manhattan. >> this was indeed the largest theft of this type that we have yet seen. this was it 21st century bank heist that reached through the internet to span the globe, but instead of guns and masks, the cyber crime organization used laptops and malware. >> please suspects, two of whom appear in this photo, allegedly made 40,000 cash withdrawals in 27 countries. >> the concern, of course, is that this organization is looking for weaknesses anywhere they can find it, and it will look for weakness in personal accounts as well, and as they evolves, we have to eat all. >> internet experts confirmed the cyber criminals are becoming increasingly cunning. >> in a way, i was a little bit happy when i heard about the

news. now this if -- security illusion is starting to break. in this industry, we have known for a while about the difference of a reality and illusion. >> the u.s. investigators worked with authorities from several countries, including germany. >> for more, we can speak now to a representative from the german i.t. industry group bitcom, where he is responsible for their group on security. first of all, have you got any idea what kind of group could be involved in an attack like this and just how many people would be involved? >> what we see here is a group that is very specific for this new kind of organized crime that is very good in new technologies. we have to speak about several hundred criminals that are

organized worldwide by the internet. 36,000 transactions in less than 10 hours, so there must be a lot of people involved. >> it is just not a technical feat, then. it is quite an organizational feet, isn't it? what can banks due to better protect themselves from this kind of attack? >> actually, it is a technology question. we have to talk about security and technology used at two levels. it was credit card fraud, and in a lot of countries, credit cards are used without a secure element. if you see a little chip in your credit card, that is the secure element. a lot of foreign credit cards are only with a magnet strike, which is a very insecure technology. on the other hand, service

providers seem not to have been aware of the hacks that have been made on their systems. >> you suggest that if you have a little chip on your credit card, you are probably a little bit safer from this kind of attack, and it is in fact only the banks that have been making big losses, but should be worried in the long term? >> if your using the right security technology, the damage is not as big as it has been in this case because the secure element makes the credit card you use in fallible, so that makes it better. >> optimistic note to end on, then. many thanks for joining us. germany's chancellor angela merkel has paid a visit to her country's troops in afghanistan to show support before they withdrawn next year. >> german forces will join the broader withdraw of nato combat forces in 2014, but like other western allies, merkel has pledged to keep supporting

afghanistan beyond that. >> the visit came just days after a german soldier was killed in action, the first to die there in two years. >> angela merkel was accompanied by the defense minister. their first stop was a military cemetery, less than a week after a german special forces soldier was killed by insurgents. a total of 53 german soldiers have died over the course of germany's mission. merkel said she recognized the dangers faced by the military. >> on behalf of many people in germany, i have expressed my appreciation for the work of our soldiers here. they are not just helping make afghanistan safe, but they are also contributing to our own security as well. >> they're preparing to pull out of afghanistan in 2014. this space, home to about 1000 german soldiers, is scheduled to

close by the end of this year. >> it is a huge logistical challenge. our soldiers have to get their work done, and we also have to guarantee their safety on the job. >> the visit was an opportunity for chancellor merkel to free german troops on the future of the afghan mission and to pay tribute to those who have served here. >> earlier, we spoke to our political correspondent, who told us more about germany's mission in afghanistan and what lay beyond the need to withdraw. >> germany announced last month it is prepared to keep some german troops in afghanistan beyond the general pullout in 2014. the proposal is to keep between 600 and 800 german troops in afghanistan. they would be there for the purpose of training, advising, and generally supporting the afghan security forces. but germany is eager to stress

that this is not yet a formal offer. it is merely a declaration of intent. there are several declarations attached to it. first, the afghan government would need to make a formal request for the troops. there would need to be other international troops there as part of a larger international presence, and, of course, any troops in afghanistan beyond 2014 for germany would need the approval of the german parliament, so this is a proposal, but it is not yet a done deal. >> turkey's prime minister has into the debate over the alleged use of chemical weapons in syria. he says that the assad regime has crossed with the u.s. has called a bread line by resorting to the banned weapons. am speaking in a television interview, he said it is clear the regime has used chemical weapons and missiles. there are patients who were brought to turkish hospitals who were wounded by those weapons,

and one also called on the u.s. to assume more responsibilities and take further steps. the conflict in syria has topped the agenda in talks between british prime minister david cameron and vladimir putin at the russian president's seaside residence. >> david cameron welcomed the u.s. and russia to convene an international conflict and try to solve the conflict. at the same time, he appealed to putin to reconsider russians longstanding support for the regime of president bashar al assad. now to bangladesh and the astonishing story of the young woman pulled alive from the clothing factory that collapsed 17 days ago. >> the woman survived her ordeal thanks to a small stash of water buried with her under tons of rubble. she has been telling her story. >> her story is miraculous. she was found near a prayer room in the factory basement. she tried to get the attention

of rescuers by using chunks of rubble on a steel pipe. she said she had been crying out for days. >> a to is very difficult to make myself heard. i kept banging with a for i could, but no one could hear me. >> she led -- she said she lived on water and dried food. rescuers said when they found her, she was healthy enough to walk, but her survival is a rare bright spot. workers have been uncovering dozens of corpses every day, and the death toll has risen to over 1000. authorities have long given up hope of finding anyone alive until one worker heard a faint please. >> i heard a weak voice calling out -- please save me -- and i called the army and firefighters to tell them. >> workers then use handsaws, welding, and drills to clear a path to the woman. the search continues.

rescuers expect to find more bodies but are unsure how many people wear in the building when it collapsed. >> the taliban has threatened pakistani voters, saying they will be risking their lives if they cast ballots in sunday's landmark election. militants have already killed more than 120 people, and the taliban is promising more attacks. >> despite that violence and the fresh threats, pakistan's election commission chief is urging a high turnout on election day. more than 86 million people are eligible to vote. >> tensions are high in karachi as election day approaches. thousands of soldiers lined the streets, and in barracks, tanks are being prepared for deployment. >> the pakistan army is responsible that the elections are held free and fair without any pressure and coercion, and that the people go out and vote and the army provide them security. >> but there is no guarantee of

safety for voters. the taliban has staged attacks in recent days. they have threatened to carry out more on election day. security fears have kept many candidates away from rallies, but front runners -- the front runner attended his party's final event. the former cricket star has been forced to campaign from hospital after he was badly injured in a fall at a rally on tuesday. all sides are pledging to fight corruption and ease poverty, but the ongoing violence is the most pressing problem. >> the security situation does not allow us to go out to vote, but it is compulsory for us to do so to say pakistan. because of this, we will go out to cast our vote tomorrow. >> keeping order at polling stations is likely to be a challenge. 86 million people are eligible to vote. the election is a historic one. it is the first time in pakistan's 66-year history that

one democratically elected government will transition to another, but many pakistanis fear that transition will not be a peaceful one. >> four months to go into the big elections here in germany, and the man who wants to replace angela merkel has been taking his campaign abroad. >> social democrat peer steinbrueck is looking to prove his credentials on the european stage. today, he was in the polish capital warsaw. >> peer steinbrueck is on the campaign trail, but his visit had a historical site as well. he paid a visit to the history museum of polish jews, and he also visited a monument to the warsaw ghetto uprising. his appearance evoke another famous visit from when the former chancellor, a socialpdemn 1970. >> it was an enormously important gesture for everyone who experienced it, and not just

for the social democrats. it was spontaneous, not something calculated. it just came to him in a moment. >> steinbrueck was 23 at the time and had been an spd member for a year. he also placed a wreath at the memorial to mark the spots for he knew. steinbrueck that with the polish prime minister to discuss the euro crisis. many poles are enthusiastic about the eu, but there is growing skepticism over joining the eurozone. >> armchair astronomers across the australian outback are counting themselves pretty lucky to have seen the kind of a clips called the ring of fire. >> and to was the second eclipse visible from northern australia in six months after november's total eclipse, friday's celestial event was an annular eclipses when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, blocking all but a spectacular

ring of light. there it is. pretty amazing. >> quite something. we will be back in just minutes time and look to japan where the nikkei index has broken new barriers. >> stay with us.

>> welcome back. japanese investors had something to celebrate today. the nikkei stock index jumped to its highest level since 2008 after the yen fell to a four- year low against the dollar. >> the currency has been driven down by a policy onslaught of the government, acting in concert with its central bank. their mission -- ending the deflation that is -- has afflicted the country for the past 20 years. >> currency traders were away from the main flaw -- floor at the nikkei exchange in tokyo, but today, they are the center of attention. it is the first time in four

years that a dollar buys more than 100 yen. this year alone, the yen has fallen more than 14% against the dollar. japan's export industries, including car makers, have benefited from the currency's slide. the u.s. is a major market for japanese cars, and the stronger dollar means japanese imports cost less. analysts expect export earnings to increase in the coming months. as has helped lift carmaker's share prices as well. japan's loose monetary policy is a major factor behind the currency. the government says that was not its goal. >> neither the japanese government nor the central bank has any intention of engaging in currency manipulation. >> that said, the government is trying out a range of measures

to spur economic growth. >> g-7 finance ministers and central bank bosses have gathered in britain for talks on how best to get the global economy back on track. i have also been looking at ways to tackle the debt crises still afflicting a number of eu countries, but there is disagreement on the best course of action. france and the u.s. advocate government intervention to boost growth. germany says deficit reduction must be the top priority. >> on to the markets, and european shares posted modest gains to cap off a record weekend, going into the begin just shy of five-year highs. our correspondents and a summary of the friday session on the frankfurt stock exchange. >> in early trading, the german stock index dax climbed above 8300 points for the first time ever, but in trading lost steam.

investors wanted to take some of the week's profits with them into the weekend. a topic of speculation discussion on the trading floor was the meeting of finance ministers of the g-7 states near london. people do not expect announcements from this meeting, but in general, investors keep betting on generous monetary policy. this week alone, countries like australia, poland, and south korea lowered their interest rates. more countries are expected to follow. >> we say in frankfurt for a closer look of friday's closing numbers. the dax finished up by about 0.2%, the bureau stoxx 50 doing even better. cross the atlantic on wall street, the dow slightly on the downside, but let's call it flat, and the euro trading at a value of $1.2975. >> back to the debt crisis in

the eurozone, and greece is reporting a success in efforts to get its deficit under control. it says it has been much less than expected in the year. greece was just under 2.5 billion euros, less than half the official government target. the eu predicts greece will make further progress in coming weeks. meanwhile, china and the you could be heading towards another trade dispute. and he has announced it is beginning a one-year review of steel tubing imports from the e you. >> the review could result in new tariffs. the move comes days after the european commission approved new tariffs on chinese solar panels following rampant complaints of chinese price dumping in europe. the eu import tariffs, which go into effect in early june, will range from 37% to as much as 68%. the list price on the chinese products. >> still to come, the world of sailing is morning olympic medal

winner and 2 cents in. >> first, a look at other news from around the world. family man accused of imprisoning three women in the u.s. city of cleveland could face the death penalty. the ohio state prosecutor says ariel castro raped and abused the women for years and used violence to cause several miscarriages. the court will decide if it constitutes murder. >> there has been a standoff at a holy site in jerusalem. hundreds of all truck orthodox jews tried to stop a women's rights group from donning prayer shawls and praying. the ritual has traditionally been restricted to men, but a court ruled women have the right to take part. >> in germany, the trial of an alleged neo-nazi gang is said to continue on monday after a court rejected a motion to dismiss the judge's. lawyers for the defense argued that the judges were not impartial.

one alleged gang member faces charges of complicity in the murder of 10 people, most of them of turkish origin. >> leading lights in the world of sailing have been paying tribute to enter simpson, who was killed on thursday when his catamaran capsized in san francisco bay. >> he was training for the america's cup boat race. >> shock and grief among family members and fellow sailors. help came too late for anderson said. rescuers pulled the 36-year old from the water, but attempts to revive him failed. >> we obviously had a tragic day to day on the day. our thoughts and prayers are with andrew simpson's family, his wife and kids. >> simpson was training with his swedish team for the america's cup, the most prestigious race in the sport of sailing. this year, it will take place in san francisco bay between july

and september. winds were strong but not stormy when the teams catamaran flipped over. simpson was trapped under water for about 10 minutes. >> he was brought here to st. francis yacht club where he was met by members of the san francisco fire department. resuscitated efforts continue for approximately 21 minutes. >> one other crew member suffered minor injuries. since it is the second sailor to have died during training for the america's cup. seen here in the center, he was widely respected as an exceptional talent, who won silver at last year's olympic games in london and gold in beijing four years previously. he is survived by his wife and young son. >> formula one motor racing returns to europe this weekend, and high octane preparations have been under way in barcelona this friday for the spanish grand prix. >> the defending world champion had the best time, edging out the local favorite vice 0.17

seconds. >> germany has been marking the burning of the books, the incident 80 years ago in which student supporters of the nazi movement began a witch hunt against writers and intellectuals they deemed to be un-german, many of them jews. >> to as the early days, just after hitler came to power. >> an expense of square in the heart of berlin decide the state opera house and adjacent to the university. by day, it is easy to miss the powerful memorial. beneath the translucent panel, an underground chamber with and the bookshelves -- empty bookshelves. students hurled thousands of titles into a bonfire.

>> he delivered what has come to be known as his fiery speech here at the burning of books on the evening of may 10, 1933, but he was not the organizer. the organizers were national student associations. the students were not only the most radicalized within the entire movement of national self assertion, there were also the very first institutionalized not cease -- not seize -- nazis. they felt the state having compromise but not academia. >> hundreds of authors whose work was decreed to be un- german were blacklisted. a nationwide campaign was launched to purge their words from public libraries and bookshelves.

a to as a prelude to the growing persecution of dissenters. >> these book burnings mark the start of a national brain drain. it has also been labeled germany's intellectual decapitation, from which the country has yet to recover. >> some of the targeted authors have in fact been forgotten, but most remain widely read. the efforts to silence them failed. >> [reading names] >> just a few in a long list of names. the nazis failed in their effort to confine these authors to oblivion. interest remains in the nazis

heinous crimes, keeping alive the memories of those they persecuted. >> finally, just time to head off into orbit where nasa says that the international space station has sprung a leak. it said to be losing ammonia from its cooling system. >> crew members spotted white flakes floating away on thursday. ammonia is used to cool the solar batteries that provide power for the station. nasa says the station might have to be shut down for repairs, but the crew members are not in danger and that the station is operating sort of normally. it could get warm in there. it is not like you could just roll down a window. >> stay with us here on dw. more news for you later. captioned by the national captioning institute --wwwncicap.org--